AMBITION? NOT A LOT....

LIVERPOOL 2 STOKE CITY FC 0

Stoke were set up for this match to keep the point they started with.Liverpool have been improving of late,but you have to wonder what Stoke might have achieved if they had shown more ambition.John Carew on his own up front,five in midfield,protecting the back four.Pennant and Diao were given a start against their former club.

From a Stoke viewpoint the highlight of the first half was defensive,Begovic making a brilliant relex save to keep out Johnson's header. Liverpool broke the stalemate just after halftime.Diao upended Agger centrally just outside the 18 yard box.Gerrard's freekick deflected to Kyrgiakos, and off him to Meireles ten yards out from goal.He drove the ball home giving Begovic no chance..The second goal saw sub, recent signing multi-million pound Uruguayan striker Suarez open his account on 79 minutes.He was set free to run on goal by Kuyt's pass.Rounding the advancing Stoke keeper,his shot was almost cleared by Wilkinson,who,after racing back had the misfortune to see his last ditch clearance effort go in off the post.

Stoke had earlier brought on Fuller as a second striker (at 67 minutes) in attempt to turn things around.The Jamaican looked lively,but the change was probably to little and too late.

Stoke Team : Begovic;
                     Wilkinson,Huth,Faye,Higginbotham;
                     Pennant,Wilson,Whitehead,Diao,Walters: 
                    Carew